[Long-term quality of life after pediatric liver transplantation]. / Qualité de vie à long terme après transplantation hépatique chez l'enfant.

We assessed quality of life in children after liver transplantation (LT) for at least 5years and in their parents, taking into account the physical, psychological, and social components, then compared the results of the patients with those of the general population and investigated the association between quality of life and somatic and psychosocial factors. Thirty-three patients, aged 8 to 18years and with a mean follow-up of 11.4years were included. Quality of life was assessed using generic self-administered questionnaires in 3 versions depending on age (pre-teens, teens, parents): the AUQUEI, OK Ado, and SQLP, respectively. Patient quality of life improved with age for all components and adolescent patients could exceed that of the general population. There was a negative impact of LT on parental quality of life, but family cohesion was strengthened. The parameters associated with patient quality of life were primarily psychosocial parameters, with special consideration for siblings and school. The somatic parameters related to LT had little impact on the quality of life of the patients but were strongly correlated with parental scores, especially when there were complications related to LT or immunosuppression. Quality-of-life assessment is complementary to clinical and laboratory data and is essential to optimize patient monitoring. Parental assessment is essential because of the long-term impact of LT on these families. A regular assessment of the quality of life of young liver transplant recipients is necessary to determine whether the encouraging results are confirmed on a larger cohort.

Polypeptide composition of an adenovirus type 5 used in cancer gene therapy.

For cancer gene therapy, a recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 named RPR/INGN201 has been constructed by susbtitution of the E1 region with human tumor suppressor gene p53. The protein components of RPR/INGN201 virions were separated by reversed-phase HPLC and were individually identified by electrospray time-of-flight mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing, both on intact proteins and on their proteolytic fragments after trypsin digestion. Twenty-five peptide components of the proteome (including fiber) with greater than 0.25-0.5% contribution to the protein content of the virus were identified and characterized. Fiber was confirmed to be partially glycosylated (both the non-glycosylated and the monoglycosylated states were identified), and two proteins were isolated and identified as phosphorylation derivatives, namely protein V (non-phosphorylated and monophosphorylated) and protein IIIa (mono- and diphosphorylated). This new analytical tool proved to be very useful not only for refining our current knowledge of the polypeptide repertoire of purified infectious virions but also for monitoring and very rapidly identifying structural modifications resulting from changes in the manufacturing process. It was also used successfully for the characterization of various adenoviral constructs.